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You Can Get Your Evaluated CBSE Answer Book Through A Rs 10 RTI Instead Of A Rs 1200 Application
31 May 2017 1:22 PM GMT
Editor : Sudhanva Shetty Shetty
Writer, coffee-addict, likes folk music & long walks in the rain. Firmly believes that there's nothing more important in a democracy than a well-informed electorate.
Students in government-run educational institutions who wish to receive a copy of their evaluated answer sheets, have the right to access their evaluated answer sheets under the RTI Act.
This means that CBSE students have the right to file an RTI and receive their evaluated answer sheets as an RTI reply. (The CBSE results were announced only recently.)
This is both cheaper and just as quick as applying through CBSE norms. While an RTI application costs only Rs 10, the CBSE route will cost students as much as Rs 1,200.
Initially, CBSE refused to allow this process, mentioning in its guidelines that “no request for RTI for providing of photocopy of evaluated answer book will be accepted”.
However, in 2016, it was taken to the Supreme Court for not following the SC’s ruling.
After this, from 2017, CBSE has omitted any mention of RTI from its guidelines completely, leading to CBSE students being unaware of a far more affordable way of applying for their evaluated answer books.
This is CBSE’s 2015 notification. It states clearly that RTI applications will NOT be accepted for provision of evaluated answer booklets – a clear violation of the SC’s 2011 judgement.
This is CBSE’s 2017 notification. It omits any mention of RTI applications completely. While this is not contempt of court, it has meant that CBSE students are unaware of the RTI route to access their evaluated answer sheets.
This is an insult to the tens of thousands of CBSE students as they are mostly not aware of their right to get answer books for only Rs 10 instead of spending more than Rs 700 on the same.
Students looking to file an RTI for their answer books can learn how to file an RTI here.
What the Supreme Court said in its judgement
In 2011, the Supreme Court (SC) held that evaluated answer sheets of candidates are information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
This enabled students to access their evaluated answer-sheets under the RTI Act across all the government-run educational institutions – including CBSE schools.
The application fee for such a request is Rs 10 and further, a physical copy of any document can be obtained at Rs 2 per page. At the same time, no fee can be charged from applicants who fall in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.
The Supreme Court decision not only ensures the students get access to their answer-sheets under RTI but it will also help a large number of youngsters learn and use RTI as a tool in the matters involving public authorities. This would help them become responsible citizens.
CBSE taken to Court, 2016
Whistle for Public Interest (WHIP) is a group of law students who deal with issues of public importance to promote transparency and accountability in the system.
In May 2016, thanks to the efforts of this group of students, it was revealed that CBSE was guilty of contempt of court.
To examine the implementation of the SC’s 2011 ruling, one of the members of WHIP filed an RTI application with CBSE seeking the procedure for providing the copies of evaluated answer sheets. In its reply to this RTI, the Board attached a notice dated 26 May 2015, which stated that no application would be accepted under RTI for obtaining the copy of answer sheets.
Furthermore, students who intend to verify their marks would have to pay a fee of Rs 500. Also, to obtain a copy of the answer book, an additional fee of Rs 700 would have to be paid. This adds up to an overall Rs 1,200.
The Logical Indian take
The Logical Indian community appeals to CBSE to kindly make it clear in their guidelines that students can access their evaluated answer books for as low as Rs 10 instead of taking the Rs 700+ route. Non-provision of critical information is almost as bad as misinformation. The practice of charging Rs 1200 for obtaining the evaluated answer sheets when the same can be obtained at the cost of Rs 10 under RTI, is arbitrary and unreasonable.
We also ask for those CBSE students who want to go through their answer books, to apply for the same through an RTI. It is extremely affordable and takes as long as it would if the application was through formal CBSE channels.
Students looking to file an RTI for their answer books can learn how to file an RTI here.
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